


Snow Day

by bry0psida



Series: Harringrove Advent [15]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Just Neil being shit in the background nothing actually happens, Light Smut, M/M, One Shot, Snow Angels, Snow Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21808183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bry0psida/pseuds/bry0psida
Summary: Secret boyfriends have a snow day with the kids.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove
Series: Harringrove Advent [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558885
Comments: 7
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

The alarm clock screams Billy awake. He groans, fumbles along the night stand for the off switch. After a few cursory slaps the incessant ringing stops. Billy opens his eyes, rolls over to face Steve. It’s the first time they’ve shared a bed. First time Billy’s ever accepted Steve’s offer to stay over.

Steve looks peaceful asleep. He conceals his anxiety well, Billy only knows what to look for because he _knows_ Steve now. There’s no furrow in his brow, no subtle tension in the corners of his mouth, his jaw nor fists are clenched. Instead his face is relaxed, mouth slack. His slow and steady breathing fans across Billy’s face. It’s sweet.

That’s something Billy’s never been able to figure out, why Steve smells and tastes so sweet. He doesn’t even have much of a sweet tooth. He doesn’t chew gum or snack on candy or suck on tootsie pops. His toothpaste smells like mint and only mint. Billy’s come to the conclusion that it’s just part of Steve, he’s just sweet.

Billy’s seen Steve asleep before, but this is different. Waking up to him is a revelation, perhaps even akin to a spiritual experience. Billy’s never felt like this, never wants to stop feeling like this.

He’s startled out of his reverie when the alarm clock starts screaming _again_. Billy grunts, reaches out to slap it again without looking and it stops.

Steve’s a deep sleeper, of course he’s got a clock with a snooze button. Billy doesn’t have that luxury at home.

Billy chances a light touch on Steve’s arm. Just because he sleeps through loud noises doesn’t mean he sleeps through being touched. He doesn’t stir. Billy takes the opportunity to trace his fingers up the outside of Steve’s wrist all the way to his shoulder, along his collarbone, up the column of his throat. He settles his hand in Steve’s hair, lets his thumb stroke the outer edge of Steve’s cheekbone. Steve just keeps on breathing nice and steady, completely unaware of the uncharacteristic display of affection.

The third time the alarm clock screams is the last time. Billy turns away from Steve to yank the power cord out of the wall, then flops back onto the bed with a huff. Steve stirs.

It starts with a little grunt, like he’s surprised to be awake, followed by a series of inquisitive noises as Steve opens his eyes and looks around blearily. Once he’s confirmed where he is he mumbles something unintelligible, then he sees Billy and his expression shifts from disgruntled to something unspeakably warm, a small smile and a contended hum. Billy’s heart throbs in his chest.

“Mmm, morning,” Steve says.

“Morning,”

“Is it not a good one?” Steve asks as he burrows into Billy’s chest.

“This is the best morning I’ve ever had,” Billy feels Steve smiles against his skin.

“The best morning, huh?” Steve’s hand snakes down Billy’s side, across his hip, splays on his low stomach. Low enough to make Billy’s dick twitch. “Any room for improvement?”

 _I shouldn’t have pressed snooze._ “I don’t think we have time, baby.”

“Oh, you’re callin’ me baby now? Know you can’t say cute shit like that and not expect me to retaliate.” Steve’s fingers are resting at the base of Billy’s dick, just rubbing back and forth across the skin. It’s more the suggestion of touch than the actual touch that causes Billy to fill out a little more.

“I turned your alarm clock off a couple times,”

Steve retracts his fingers. “How many?”

“Three.”

“That’s only like ten minutes. We can just not shower.”

Billy wants to be late for school and screw around with him, wants to skip it all together and spend the whole day fucking and getting fucked by Steve. Neil will smack him around if there’s any more letters home.

“There’s no way I’m not showering after last night,”

“ _C’moooooon_ ,” Steve whines, grinding a little against Billy’s thigh. It’s hot. And cute. It shouldn’t be cute.

“Steve,” Billy laughs. “We _don’t_ have time.”

“We _would’ve_ had time if you’d woken me up,” Steve says. “What were you doing, anyway?”

“Nothing. Sleeping.” Billy says too quickly. Steve narrows his eyes at him for a moment before rolling over and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Billy follows suit, gathers his clothes up off of Steve’s carpet. “You don’t have to wear day old clothes.” Steve says.

“It’s fine,”

“Billy, they stink.”

“No they don’t,” Billy sniffs. “Alright, maybe they do.”

Steve shimmies into yesterday’s underwear and socks and roots around in his dresser, throws clean pairs at Billy and pulls out some sweatpants for himself. “Look in my closet, something’s bound to fit.”

The prospect of wearing Steve’s clothes at all, let alone in public, is terrifying. Thrilling. “Ok.”

“You take the first shower, I’ll go make breakfast.”

“I thought there was more than one shower here?”

“There is, but the first thing I do when I get out is my hair, and I need food in me to tackle that. Don’t take too long.”

Steve’s out the door without another word. Billy watches him go, then gets to work on raiding Steve’s closet. He picks out the loosest long sleeve shirt he can find, pairs it with Steve’s grey Hawkin’s High sweatshirt, and heads for the bathroom.

Steve’s parents are fancy, they keep the toilet and bath separate. Billy’s never been in the bathroom before, gasps to himself as he walks in. It’s huge. There’s a mirror covering most of one of the walls, a counter that runs all the way along with a sink and plug sockets and these sleek little cabinets to boot.The bath is practically a fucking jacuzzi. It’s built into a dip in the wall with steps. You could comfortably fit like, five people in it.

Billy snaps himself out of staring at Steve’s parent’s absurd bathroom and focuses on showering.

…

Billy towels off his damp hair as he travels down the stairs and towards the smell of bacon. “Somethin’ smells good.”

He rounds the corner of the kitchen to Steve plating their breakfast. Billy can’t remember the last time someone made him breakfast.

Steve’s sweatpants are riding low, his socks are all bunched up over the bottom of his sweats like leg warmers and he didn’t bother with a shirt. It shouldn’t look as good as it does. Billy dumps the towel on the counter and sidles up to him, wraps his arms loosely around Steve’s stomach and starts kissing the moles on his neck.

“That’s- that’s nice,” Steve says. Billy hums against his skin. “I have some good news.”

“Yeah?”

“School’s cancelled. Snow day.”

“How’d you know?”

“Radio, duh.”

Billy lets go of Steve when he’s handed a plate of food. Billy makes a beeline for the table, Steve walks right on past him for the TV room. “Don’t you wanna eat at the table?” Billy asks.

Steve scoffs. “Do you?”

 _Not really_. Billy trails after Steve, sits closer to him than he needs to on the couch. Steve turns on the news and starts eating.

Billy stabs at his bacon. “So, what’d you wanna do today?”

“The sensible answer is to catch up on homework,”

“Screw that,”

Steve looks at him. “I’d rather screw you.”

Billy licks his lips. “We do have time now.”

“What about you?”

“Don’t laugh,” Steve nods. “I kinda just wanna play in the snow.”

“Why would I laugh at that?” Billy sighs. “Billy, you can talk to me.”

“Max got all excited when she heard there was gonna be snow this week on the forecast, asked if I’d make a snowman with her. Neil heard me say yes and called me a pussy.”

Steve takes Billy’s empty plate out of his hands, stacks it on top of his own and lays it on the floor at their feet. “You’re not a pussy, Steve says. “If you wanna have a snow day, we’ll have a snow day.”

Relief courses through him. _I’m so lucky_ , he thinks. Billy wants to tell Steve but he’s no good at expressing affection with words so he just kisses him instead.


	2. Chapter 2

Billy calls round the kids houses at Steve’s suggestion while he puts snow chains on the beemer's tires.

Billy’s not spoken to any of the kid’s parents before. It’s a little harder to turn on the charm over the phone but it seems to go over just fine. Will’s staying home to spend the day with his brother and mom but everyone else is good to go. Billy doesn’t realise till he’s finished calling around that there’s gonna be too many kids for Steve’s car.

He shrugs on a jacket and toes on his shoes, heads for the front door, takes a minute to psyche himself up before opening it. Billy’s seen snow on TV and a couple postcards. It’s his first time seeing it in person. He’s been careful to not look out any of the windows since Steve told him it’d snowed. He opens the door, eyes closed, takes a breath, then opens them. “Oh, wow.”

It’s better than Billy thought it would be. 5 inches, the news had said, with more due to fall.

It almost doesn’t look real. So many lawns have been left untouched, the roofs undisturbed. It’s beautiful.  
Billy steps into the driveway as Steve steps out of the garage, dusting off his hands. Steve smiles at him.

“Have you seen snow before?”

“Not in person,”

“This must be pretty exciting,”

“Yeah, it is. Bet Max is losing her shit.”

Steve slings an arm round Billy’s shoulders, takes a moment with him to admire the street.

“Oh, Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have extra snow chains?”

“I think so. Why?”

“We’ve gotta pick up more kids than your car has seats,”

“I’ll go check,” Steve disappears into the garage to look for more chains. Billy crouches down at the edge of the salted driveway to press his hand into the snow.

“Got ‘em!” Steve calls. Billy wads up a tight ball in his hands and heads into the garage.

“So you had the foresight to salt the driveway, but not to put on snow tires ahead of time?”

“You didn’t either!”

“Yeah, but I’m from Cali. You’ve lived here your whole life.”

“Does it not snow in California?” Steve asks.

“Not where I’m from,”

“Where does it snow there?”

“Up in the mountains. Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, Big Bear lake, probably a couple other places too.” The ball is melting fast in Billy’s fist. The cold burns. “Hey, Steve,” Steve turns, Billy launches the ball at his chest, clips him in the shoulder instead. It explodes into a million pieces, spatters the car and Steve’s hair.

Steve jumps a little, then laughs at himself, turns back to the tire. “You’re lucky I take safety so seriously, or your ass would be _buried_ in snow right about now.”

“That a threat, or a promise?”

“You’re getting _pelted_ with snowballs when we get to the clearing, trust me.” Steve inclines his head towards back door. “Why don’t you go make some coffee or cocoa or something? There’s a big thermos in one of the kitchen cabinets.”

“Any preferences?”

“Nah, you pick.”

…

Four sets of snow chains and six cups of coffee poured into the thermos later and they’re on the road to pick up the kids. Steve’s driving in front, Billy’s following. The roads are pretty empty and well salted, but Steve’s a careful driver. Nothing like Billy in that respect.

Billy feels very safe, wrapped in Steve’s sweatshirt and his spare scarf and hat. They’re not distinctive, no one would ever notice. But Billy knows. And that’s enough.

Steve takes the next turn to go pick up Mike and Lucas and Erica. Billy’s in charge of getting Max, then Dustin, then they’re all meeting at Hopper’s cabin.

Max is just as ecstatic when she gets in the car as Billy thought she would be. “Can you believe this shit, Billy? It’s so fucking cool!”

Billy chuckles. “Yeah, it is pretty cool.”

“It’s _frozen water_ , it’s a form of but it’s not _ice_ ice. How does that even work? I mean, I know how it works scientifically, but like _how_ does it _work_?” Max throws her hands up. Billy just shakes his head at her and keeps on driving.

Dustin’s a little more chill, not exactly thrilled to be picked up by Billy. “You’re not Steve.” He says as he slides into the backseat.

“‘Hello Billy, how nice to see you. Thank you so much for putting miles on your car and spending money on gas just to come pick me up and take me out,’ is what you’re supposed to say.”

Dustin rolls his eyes. Max turns around and flicks a little snow in his face she must have had stashed in her pocket. Dustin splutters.

“What the hell, Max?”

Max laughs. “There’s a lot more where that came from, _Dusty bun_.”

Dustin groans. Billy keeps driving.

The kids are out of the car before Billy’s so much as parked. He stops off to the side of the cabin in Hopper’s usual spot, pulls out the tarp he keeps in the trunk and ties it down to protect the Camaro from any more snow.

Billy can hear singing as he walks up the steps and into the cabin.

“ _Turn around, look at what you seeeeee_!”

Dustin’s on the couch with his head in his hands, Max has a walkie in her hand and El has a hairbrush upside down in hers. Probably a makeshift microphone.

The walkie crackles on. Mike, Lucas and Erica sing through it. “ _In her face, the mirror of your dreeeeaaams_!”

The kids manage another three lines before Dustin starts hitting Max with a pillow. Being Billy’s little sister, she gives as good as she gets, tosses the walkie to El and starts going at him with two.

The boys and Erica are still singing through the walkie. Max is more yelling than singing the song at Dustin now between big breaths and pillow hits. El sets the walkie and hairbrush down on the table and approaches Billy.

“Hello Billy,” She says, quiet and slow like she always talks.

“Hey El,” Billie replies, tousling her curly hair.

“Are you excited for the snow?”

“I’m real excited. You seen snow before?” She nods. “Not your first rodeo, then.”

El’s smile falters. “It’s my first time playing in it.”

Billy’s not sure what’s taken a turn. “It’s my first time seeing it or playing in it. Max, too.”

El’s eyes are wide like she can’t believe it. “Really?”

“Oh yeah. Where we’re from’s pretty hot, never snowed there.”

“What is it like, to live somewhere hot?”

“It’s, well, hot.” El makes a face at him. Billy hears Steve pull up. El all but runs to the door, throws it open just in time for Mike to launch himself at her. Billy’s never seen kids so young kiss so frantically. It’s fucking weird.

Erica tuts in disgust as she shoves past them. “Can you two keep your hands off each other where the rest of us have to watch? There are children present. It’s inappropriate.” El disentangles herself from Mike, flushed from embarrassment.

Lucas follows close behind Erica, makes a gesture with his hand across his neck. “Not cool, Mike.”

Mike raises his brows. “You do it with Max in front of the rest of us, like, all the time!” _That’s_ a little more than Billy wanted to know. Too late now.

“Yeah, but you're not ten!” Lucas yells back.

Steve steps into the cabin. “Hey, hey! What is going on in here?” The kids keep bickering. Steve looks at Billy. “You’re good to just let this escalate, then?” Billy shrugs.

“I think it’s pretty funny.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re not the one who has to talk ‘em all down.”

Steve manages to wrangle them all into the same room and shut them up with minimal threats in a little under a minute and a half. Billy’s impressed. Steve does make a pretty damn good babysitter, after all.

“Alright, here’s how today’s gonna go. We’re gonna walk as a group to a little clearing nearby. You do not wander off from the clearing, you stay where I can see you. You do not try to come back to the cabin on your own. Any of you dinguses wander off and get hypothermia it’s my ass on the line. Got it?”

The kids nod and roll their eyes and huff but don’t protest otherwise. All except Erica. “You want us to form a human chain as we walk through the woods too?”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

“I was joking! This isn’t Hands Across America.”

Steve insists that they all hold hands. He leads the way through the trees, followed by Billy, Max, El, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Erica. Billy wishes someone brought a camera, bets they look fucking hilarious wading through the snow.

Once they’re in the clearing it’s an absolute free for all. The kids clearly have pre determined teams as they break off in pairs and find shit to hide behind. Steve grabs Billy by the wrist and yanks him down behind a big rock, starts frantically balling up wads of snow and piling them between them.

“Get ready for the fight of your life, Hargrove,” Steve says. “This kids have some pretty mean hooks, take no prisoners. Except El. And Erica. Don’t throw anything too hard at them.”

“Got it,”

“Alright, nerds! Listen up and listen good,” Billy and Steve peek over the edge of the rock to see Erica in the centre of the clearing waving a white handkerchief. “Rules are simple: no snowballs to the face, no putting anything but snow in your snowballs, and no forming alliances with other teams. Got it?”

“Yeah!” Max calls out.

“Crystal!” Mike shouts.

Steve does a little ok gesture over the top of the rock, crouching back down.

“The game begins in five,” Billy hears Erica trudging frantically through the snow and back to her shelter. “Four,” Steve starts wadding balls faster, Billy tries to keep up. “Three, two,” The tension in the air is so thick Billy could probably hit it with a snowball. “One!”

A cacophony of battle cries and excited shrieks echo around the clearing, followed closely by the sound of snow hitting trees and bodies. It’s way more fun than paintball.

Chaos reigns. Every time Billy so much as thinks about peeking over the rock it’s hit with another ball. Steve is less cautious and more agile, dodging several and only taking one to his side. “You get anybody?” Billy asks.

“I got Max,”

Billy grins at him.

They switch between making balls and throwing them. Billy gets each of the kids once. Max absolutely pelts him with them. Fucking hurts, too. Just like paintball.

Billy’s actually pretty tired. They’ve only been going about seven minutes but his arm is heavy and he can’t seem to catch his breath. Steve laughs at him when he slumps into the snow, back to the rock. “You been slacking on your workouts?”

“I never-“ Billy wheezes, catches his breath. “I never played softball, or baseball, or whatever. I don’t use these muscles.”

“Kids’ll tucker out soon. Hang tight, keep those balls comin’.”

Billy snorts. “Steve, not in front of the kids.”

Steve shoves snow down Billy’s back.

…

They all trudge back to the cabin to recharge and warm up before heading back out. El’s in charge of getting a fire going, Steve’s on snacks. The kids spread themselves along the couch, Erica nabs the armchair. Billy slumps into one of the two kitchen chairs, cracks open the thermos and chugs coffee.

The kids cheer a little when El starts the fire, cheer a lot when Steve says the fridge contents is pathetic so he’s making a McDonalds run.

Steve gives Billy a stealthy kiss on the way out, promises to get extra mustard on his burger.

Billy watches him go. The kids want him to sit on the floor and watch Dragon’s Lair with them. “Once I’ve had a smoke.” He promises.

He leans against the railing, lights one of Steve’s Malboro’s with a match. Takes a long drag.

Billy’s having a great time. He’s grown to love the kids, he really has. They’re good for him, like Steve’s good for him. Give him hope for the future, or something. Billy savors the feeling of connection and contentment the way he savours his smokes, then heads back inside to tolerate some Dragon’s Lair.

…

Three Happy Meals, two Big Macs, one Quarter Pounder, one Filet-O-Fish and two episodes of Dragon’s Lair later, they’re back in the snow.

The kids are all making different kinds of snowmen. Max is showing El how to make the basic snowman, Erica’s quite the little sculptor and is doing her damn best to erect Snuzzle from My Little Pony, Mike, Lucas and Dustin have been trying and failing to build some weird shit from D&D.

Steve leans against a slim tree. Billy leans against the other side. They hold hands behind the trunk. “This is nice, isn’t it?” Steve says.

“Yeah, it’s real nice. I’ve had a great time.”

“Snow everything you hoped it would be?”

“It’s better.”

“Cold isn’t bothering you?”

Billy squeezes Steve’s hand through their gloves. “Not with you here to keep me warm.” Steve blushes at that.

“There is one thing we haven’t done.”

“What’s that?” Billy asks.

“Snow angels.”

“What’re those?”

Steve looks at him. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“You don’t know what a snow angel is?”

“Why would I?”

“You know what a snowman is! How can you not have heard of snow angels?”

Billy laughs a little. “I don’t know, man.”

Steve glances back at the kids for a moment, turns back to Billy with mischief in his eyes. “We’re doing snow angels, c’mon.”

Billy lets Steve lead him further into the trees, close enough to still hear the kids.

“You wanna lie down in the snow, straight line.”

Billy raises a brow. “You’re shitting me.”

“Not at all.”

“Why would I wanna do that?”

“Why would you want to throw snowballs and have them thrown back at you?”

“Same reason people like dodgeball. It’s exciting.”

“Alright, well this isn’t exciting but it’s still fun. Trust me.”

Steve lays right down on the snow over his footprints. Billy goes to lay next to him. “No no no no- you need to be a couple feet away.”

“…Ooookay.” Billy does as he’s told, leans on his elbows to look at Steve. “Alright, what now?”

“Now you move your arms up and down, like this.” Bill watches. Doesn’t see the appeal at all.

“What am I supposed to be getting out of this again?”

“Just do it.”

Billy does it. It’s fucking cold, isn’t much fun at all. “When can I stop?”

“When the snow stops fighting you pushing against it. Be careful when you get up, you don’t wanna ruin the shape.”

“What does that even mean?”

Steve’s standing above him now, holding out a hand. Billy takes it, steps back a little to look at their snow angels. They’re actually…they’re actually pretty cute. Maybe not worth a soggy ass or wet socks, but it’s done now.

Steve wraps an arm around Billy’s waist, pulls him close and peppers kisses along his cheek, warms Billy up from the outside in. “Do you like them?”

Billy turns and pulls Steve into his arms, nuzzles his cold nose into Steve’s bare neck. “Yeah, I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know hands across america didn't happen till 1986 but I wanted Erica to make that joke so shhh.
> 
> Kudos and comments are my lifeblood.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!!


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